Must Love Pets: A Romance Box Set

by Theresa Weir

“He’s from Roscoe’s bloodline.”

  Her throat filled again and she looked up at Drew. “What? How?”

  Just then the elevator dinged and Callie and Owen emerged along with Harper and Poe. Callie smiled. “Did you tell her yet?”

  “Just about to,” he said, settling his arm around Callie as she came to stand next to him. “Callie helped me track down Roscoe’s breeder. They kept one of the females from Roscoe’s litter. She produced numerous puppies before she died two years ago. Her son fathered Boxer. He’s a direct descendant from your bulldog.”

  She covered her face, overwhelmed by the gifts she’d been given, not just the puppy but Drew, and her wonderful, dear, caring and supportive friends.

  He clasped her arms and pulled her to him. She sobbed against his neck, letting all the pain and longing for Roscoe dissipate, leaving nothing but a golden glow inside her for having had him in her life.

  “Thank you.”

  There were congratulations and hugs and kisses all around. Exclamations of how cute her new little man was and how delicious that aroma was that was wafting out of her apartment. Poe’s squeal when she told her about the shrimp and everyone’s laughter.

  Everyone went inside. Drew took her hand and slipped on the ring. She bent down and scooped Boxer out of the basket. He bumped his little face against hers, his muzzle like velvet, his short tail swishing against her hand a mile a minute. Drew picked up the basket and, with a full heart, she kissed him on the mouth.

  Boxer barked. “Oh, you want some, too?” she said the love spilling out of her voice. She planted a kiss on his head as they went into her apartment together and closed the door.

  Epilogue

  “I can’t believe you’re making me wear a blindfold.” She heard Callie giggle next to her in the posh interior of Harper’s limo. Drew must be up to something naughty.

  “It’s supposed to be a surprise, Brooke. If you see what it is before the unveiling, it’s not a surprise.” Owen said to her left.

  “True,” Harper said across from her. “You always were better at giving than receiving.”

  Brooke sniffed, but she wasn’t really annoyed. Just impatient. “I can’t wait until we get there.”

  “You’ve been so busy handling your franchise business and making Pawlish into more of a success than Ian ever hoped for. You deserve a break.”

  “Hey, I eat dinner with my fiancé every night.”

  “That’s right,” Drew said next to her. “We don’t miss a meal together. But that’s mostly because the woman cooks like a dream. Especially those apple cinnamon muffins. I can’t get enough.”

  She elbowed him in the ribs, and he laughed as he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her close for a kiss.

  “And we don’t miss a Saturday together,” Callie said on her right.

  Boxer barked from his perch on her lap.

  “Are we there yet?” Brooke whined.

  It had been six months since she and Drew had gotten engaged and June had descended on the city bringing a scorching heat wave. They were planning to have an autumn wedding since both his sister and Callie would be tying the knot in August. Her life truly was a dream come true. As Harper had just pointed out, both Pawlish and her Bone Appétit franchise were flourishing. Drew was fulfilled in his job, his office full of pictures of his sister, Brooke, Boxer, and…his parents.

  The warm breeze from the open window brought with it the smell of the ocean. She could hear gulls calling in the background and the smell of meat sizzling on the grill along with the mouthwatering aroma of hot dogs.

  The car came to a stop and many hands helped her out of the vehicle. Boxer barked and she wondered if he was twirling in a circle like he did when he got excited.

  “Keep your eyes closed,” Drew said, removing the blindfold.

  She went along with it because her friends were so excited about her surprise.

  “Okay,” he said against her ear. “Open your eyes.”

  Brooke opened them and a big smile spread across her face. In front of her was Coney Island.

  “I promised you I’d take you.”

  “And you keep your promises.”

  “That’s right.” She wrapped her arms around him and indulged herself with the softness of his lips.

  Callie pulled at her arm. “Come on! Let’s go on the rides. You can kiss Drew any time.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about rides,” Brooke said.

  Harper grabbed her other arm. “Oh, you’re going,” she said. “And you’re going to like it.”

  Poe grabbed Callie’s arm. “Let’s go, ladies.” They ran forward as Drew grabbed Boxer’s leash out of her hand. They might not have all been born into the same family, but these women, and now the two men, were her family. Through thick and thin they would be there for each other for the rest of their lives.

  As she looked back, she saw Drew and Owen clap each other on the back and look lovingly at the women as they converged on the hapless ticket seller.

  -THE END-

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for embarking on this journey with me. It’s been fabulous to write this book for your enjoyment.

  Don’t miss the last dog park babe fighting for her own happily ever after—Harper and Caleb tie the knot at the posh Sinclair Tower Hotel with their honeymoon in beautiful Hawaii and, yes, you are so invited! Coming this summer!

  If you haven’t done so already, please consider leaving me a review. It helps me out tremendously. Thank you. Please feel free to message me online through Twitter @zoedawsonauthor, Facebook, or my website. I would love to hear from you. To find out about my most new and upcoming releases, check my website, follow my blog, like me on Facebook or sign up for my newsletter.

  Best,

  Zoe

  About the Author

  Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of multi-published, bestselling author Karen Anders. Karen started her career because her grandmother gave her a book to read. That book made her fall in love with romance and started her on the trek to get published. She achieved that goal in 1996 with the publication of Jennifer’s Outlaw for Silhouette. Even with many books under her belt, she can’t wait for that next idea, that next exquisite sentence and, of course, the next hero and heroine who fall in love.

  Books by Zoe Dawson

  Going to the Dogs

  Leashed, Book #1 – Free

  Groomed for Murder #2

  Hounded, Book #3

  Collared #4

  Fetched (companion novella to Hounded) #5

  Tangled (companion novella to Leashed) #6

  Handled (companion novella to Groomed for Murder) #7

  New Adult Contemporary Romance

  Brave (stand-alone novella)

  A Perfect Secret Series

  A Perfect Mess #1

  A Perfect Mistake #2

  A Perfect Dilemma #3

  Urban Fantasy Series: The Starbuck Chronicles

  AfterLife

  Connect with Zoe Online

  Website

  Facebook

  Newsletter

  Zoe’s Amazon Author Page

  It’s a Dog’s Life

  A romantic comedy with canine sidekick

  by

  Dale Mayer

  It’s the first day of Ninna’s job in the local animal shelter…and a dog is talking to her. Not just any dog…a fat, old, smart-alecky Basset Hound who says his name is Mosey.

  She can’t quit, she needs this job. And then there’s the yummy vet. Who turns out to live across the street from her in a much bigger house than her tiny house. Big enough to hold a few animals—including the mouthy Mosey. With all this going on, she doesn’t have time to worry about the rash of break-ins and the sense of being watched. She’s too busy worrying that she’s nuts.

  When Ninna agrees to dog sit for the cute vet from work, she sees it as a trial at being a pet owner and a way to build on her budding relationship with the vet. For Mosey, this weekend means time to get to
know each other.

  For the stalker who’s tracking Ninna’s movements, it means…opportunity.

  Prologue

  Wind whistled through the open door of the garage. Moonlight danced across the broken lock. Troy loved it when people took off for holidays and left their houses wide open and inviting—like this. Sure, there’d been a lock on the door, if that’s what you’d call it. He hadn’t even needed to tinker; his crowbar popped it in seconds.

  The owners had been gone exactly three days. Idiots. They’d forgotten to stop the newspaper. He’d be in and out in no time. If they had some good stuff, he’d come back a second time.

  Great neighborhood. Rural and small—it worked for him. He’d been working this ten-block square for two months now. The next couple of blocks were a goldmine of opportunity. Easy pickings.

  Hadn’t these people heard of alarm systems? Not that he couldn’t deal with those, too. But tonight’s job was a joke. No dog, no alarm, no locks worth a crap. In and out and then on to the next one.

  Hard times had struck the small town. Not only were the regular owners of this house absent, but there were many deserted houses all around it. People who couldn’t make their payments, couldn’t sell their houses, had walked into the bank and handed over the keys. Only the bank couldn’t get their money back, because they couldn’t sell the places, either. No one came out ahead on those deals—except him. He did some demo work and stripped out what he could. There was always a market for scrap. Tonight, though, he was looking for the good stuff. The easy money stuff.

  Cash, collectibles, electronics, jewelry…anything and everything he could carry out and sell fast.

  The neighbors had a dog. But it didn’t seem to give a damn. If he crossed into its yard then maybe… As it was, he had enough to keep busy for tonight and maybe tomorrow night without going close to it.

  There was a tiny one-bedroom bungalow in the next block. The cutie lived there. He didn’t know her name, but he’d caught sight of her one night while casing the houses beside hers.

  Small and slim, not skinny…she curved where women were meant to curve. She also lived alone. Something he hadn’t been able to forget. He was no low life Peeping Tom, but this girl, well…she’d caught his attention something fierce.

  Maybe, he’d swing by for a quick look to see if she was home. Who knows, he might get lucky.

  Chapter 1

  The Lost for Options Animal Center reminded her of a beehive. People and dogs swarmed toward the sprawling building at the front, while another group appeared to be overtaking the neighboring field.

  Ninna Bradford pressed a hand to her temple, wishing the pounding would go away. She could handle crowds, just not stampedes. There were animals—everywhere. The place had been calm when she’d been interviewed several weeks ago.

  She grew up without pets and didn’t even have friends with dogs. She had nothing against them. She liked them well enough. She just had no experience with them. Zip, zilch, nada. Not that she’d told her interviewer that. She could do the job, which was clerical. And this was the only company in six months to offer her a position.

  She closed her eyes and stood on the walkway for a few seconds, nervous to go further. Breathe. Her yoga instructor’s voice whispered through her mind. Remember to breathe, Ninna. Take a deep breath…now release. Good.

  Good, my ass. Fat ass, too. Damn her stupid self to hell for that second muffin this morning. She shouldn’t have eaten it the first day on her new job. Of course, a bad case of nerves was the reason she’d given in. And she’d had another bad night before that. With the rash of neighbourhood break-ins lately, it was hard to relax enough to sleep. She hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of being watched. Then again, any excuse for a banana-chocolate chip muffin worked for her.

  “Hey, are you all right?”

  Spinning around, Ninna smiled sheepishly at the tall redheaded male moving steadily toward her. He was dressed in black jeans and a gray knit shirt that fit his lean frame perfectly. She had trouble focusing on anything but him.

  Why was it some men caused no reaction when they walked by, and then some other guys just made her eyes pop open and her mind turn to mush? Pulling herself together, she said, “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry. I didn’t mean to stand in the way.”

  “No problem.” He gazed at her curiously. “You looked lost, that’s all.”

  She was, but that wasn’t something to share with a stranger, regardless of his stunning green eyes and thick black lashes. Damn, he must be Irish. Stumbling over her words slightly, she explained, “I’m starting a new job here this morning, so I’m dragging my heels a little.”

  The look in his eye sharpened, then warmed with male appreciation. “Ninna, right?”

  She widened her gaze, barely holding back a flush at his blatant appraising look, “Uhm, yes. Do you work here, too?”

  He grinned, his face lighting up and his eyes sparkling. “I’m Stuart Macintosh, the resident vet and animal health instructor for the Center. You’ll see me coming and going at all hours. Come on. I’ll show you around.”

  “Oh, wow, thank you.” Somehow, without really understanding how, she found herself walking up the last couple of stairs to the Center’s front door. She shot a glance around her, but the vet opened the door and nudged her through. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  She blinked owlishly, and something in her expression made him laugh. “You’ll be fine. Everyone here is very nice.”

  “Sure they are,” she muttered. They would be unless they found out about her weirdness. But that was all better now. At least she hoped so. She’d never have tried for this job otherwise. Still applying for a job was a whole different issue than actually starting a new job. How many other people had grown up without being around animals? Any animal. Ever. How would the animals react to her? Would they sense her inexperience?

  “Come this way. Trina is here already, and Stacey, my sister, will most likely be in the back. She usually opens the Center and gets people organized. Even so, it’s chaos this morning isn’t it?”

  Ninna barely heard what he said, overwhelmed by the confusion. “I can’t imagine that this many people own dogs. Bentley is a small town. Does everyone come here at the same time?”

  The waiting area was full. And an ordinary day or not, it was standing room only for both dogs and handlers. This center served as vet clinic, shelter for the lost animals and as an obedience dog training facility. And those were just the services she knew about. The room they’d entered also looked like it was intended as a community center, with a coffee corner…tables and chairs for lounging. And was that a water fountain close to the floor?

  Willing to follow his lead, but still a bit bewildered, she followed the vet forward until they’d reached a large group were talking…or barking.

  Good thing she liked animals…at least she hoped she’d like them—if she had a chance to get to know any.

  Damn good thing, actually.

  “What?” she asked Stuart, placing a tentative hand on his arm to get his attention. “Sorry, I missed what you just said.”

  “I didn’t say anything.” He motioned to the crowd. “It’s hard to hear anything right now. Let’s get up to the counter.”

  “Oh, sorry.” Confused, Ninna looked around at the people beside her, to see if one of them had spoken to her. No one was even looking in her direction.

  Following Stuart deeper into the crowd, she came out the other side at a large counter. It was tight, but she managed to squeeze up beside him. She could see female staff helping customers sign in for obedience classes. The other half of the crowd appeared to be here for the clinic side of the Center.

  Stuart caught the first woman’s eye. “Hey, Trina, this is our newest employee. She’s a little lost.”

  Dead silence.

  Ninna gulped as dozens of faces turned toward her. Putting on a brave smile, she lifted her hand in a small finger wave. “Uhm, hi.”

  Just li
ke that, the noise resumed, but at a lower level as people returned to their own conversations. A cheerful looking blonde, who Ninna thought was Trina, leaned forward and grinned. “Hey, welcome to the zoo!” Trina’s grin was wide and authentic, and Ninna couldn’t help but smile back.

  “That’s definitely my first impression of the place.” She laughed. “Where do you want me?”

  “I’d say back here, but there’s some paperwork for you to fill out and things are a bit nuts right now. Grab a coffee, find a chair and sit down, and let me work through this crowd. It will ease up in…” She glanced over at the clock. “In about ten minutes when class starts.”

  With that, Trina turned to someone else and answered a question for him.

  Dismissed, and with Stuart disappearing down a hallway, Ninna squeezed away from the crowd. She decided against the coffee and managed to find a comfortable chair by the fireplace. Summertime in the Pacific Northwest was either hot or wet, or hot and wet. Either way, she was glad the fireplace wasn’t on. Now in winter, that might be a nice touch. Settled and out of the way, she finally breathed easy.

  I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you.

  Frowning, she looked around, sure someone had spoke to her. Only no one was close enough. And that was just wrong—not to mention scary. This certainly wasn’t the time for her old problem to reappear.